Man City Rumors: 'Next Cristiano Ronaldo' To Join Pep Guardiola's Side 'In January'

One of the most celebrated players in Portugal is being linked to a move to Manchester City.

The new English Premier League season is fast approaching, and Manchester City is closing in on the transfer of one of its top targets, Jack Grealish.

While it appears that Grealish is likely to become Manchester City’s biggest signing this summer, another sensational transfer might take place in the January transfer window.

According to former Sporting CP player and CMTV’s Fernando Mendes, “he’s been told” by someone from the club that “in January,” both Sporting stars Pedro Goncalves and Nuno Mendes “will be Man City players,” Sport Witness reported.

International Business Times could not independently verify this information.

Manchester City have been linked to with a move for two of Sporting Lisbon’s most highly-rated players,

Mendes has long been linked to Manchester City, but even to this day, the said interest has been deemed nothing but rumors.

Goncalves, on the other hand, has already been on the radar of top Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Liverpool.

With a big-spending club like Manchester City now said to be one of Goncalves’ new suitors, it will be interesting to see how things will go down in the future.

An earlier report said that Sporting CP has set an €80 million ($94 million) termination clause for Goncalves, which will take effect when the winger formally signs his contract extension on July 21.

The said fresh set of terms includes a “salary revision,” which was intended to allow Goncalves to haggle for a pay rise.

Moreover, the new and improved release clause will make Goncalves the player with the biggest termination clause at Sporting CP at present and second in the club’s history, the report added.

Despite Sporting CP prioritizing Gonçalves’ contract renewal, negotiations between all parties involved have yet to progress even to this day.

However, the reigning Primeira Liga champions are hoping to get the deal done “this week,” per Portuguese outlet O Jogo.

Prior to the link-ups with Premier League clubs, Goncalves’ agent Jorge Pires had insisted that a move away from Sporting CP is unlikely to happen even in the future.

“There is no interest on our part in this transfer market, nor is Sporting interested in losing the player,” Pires said in January.

"Therefore, any business is out of the question,” he added. “We are not concerned with this market. In fact, it doesn't even count for us. He is very happy to play for Sporting and for what he has done. He is living a dream."

Goncalves is now Sporting CP’s biggest star, having bagged a whopping 23 goals in 32 league matches last season.

His incredible attack and nose for goals have earned him the moniker the “Next Cristiano Ronaldo.”